What WaBa Grill does

WaBa Grill is a privately held fast-casual restaurant franchise founded in 2006 in Los Angeles, California, operating under the legal entity Waba Grill Franchise Corp. with corporate headquarters in Anaheim Hills, CA. The company specializes in grilled-to-order meals prepared on open-fire grills, with a core menu of customizable rice bowls, veggie bowls, plates, Boom Boom Tacos, salads, and family meals built around signature sauces (notably WaBa Sauce and Boom Boom Sauce) and proteins including all-natural chicken, ribeye steak, wild-caught salmon, shrimp, organic tofu, and a proprietary Plantspired plant-based steak. Supporting offerings include pork and veggie dumplings (including new Chili Crisp Dumplings), the proprietary WaBeverages platform featuring boba-topped specialty drinks, and a recently launched first-party catering program with Bowl Bar and Taco Bar kits.

The business operates a franchise go-to-market model with nearly 200 restaurants across California, Nevada, Texas, and Arizona, generating average unit volumes on pace to exceed $1M and targeting approximately $200M in systemwide sales for 2026. Customer revenue is highly fragmented, drawn from health-conscious consumers, families, and corporate catering accounts, with pay-as-you-go pricing (individual bowls $9.29–$11.99, family meals $29.99–$41.99, value items from ~$2.89–$7.99). The company distributes through franchise locations, its own e-commerce ordering site (order.wabagrill.com) and iOS/Android app (WaBa Rewards), third-party delivery platforms, and the dedicated catering portal (catering.wabagrill.com). Operational execution is supported by a corporate team of 36 with a 52% internal-promotion culture, and 2026 same-store sales growth is approaching 10%, with Afshin Compani appointed as President & COO to lead the brand through its 20th anniversary and continued multi-state franchise expansion.

Name

WaBa Grill

Legal name

Waba Grill Franchise Corp.

Website

https://wabagrill.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

WaBa Grill is a privately held fast-casual franchise operating nearly 200 grilled-to-order rice bowl restaurants across California, Nevada, Texas, and Arizona, serving health-conscious consumers, families, and corporate catering customers with customizable bowls, plates, tacos, and proprietary beverages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fast-Casual Restaurant Dining

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing (3118)

SIC

Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Family-Style Restaurants (THAFACAC)

Keywords

• Fast-casual dining
• Grilled rice bowls
• Healthy quick service
• Restaurant franchise
• Asian-inspired menu

Headquarters

HQ city

City Of Industry

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Sales: Primary revenue from dine-in, takeout, and delivery orders at nearly 200 restaurant locations. Average unit volumes on pace to exceed $1 million, with systemwide sales approaching $200 million.
2. Catering Services: First-party catering program launching with Bowl Bar, Taco Bar, and a la carte options for office lunches and celebrations. Offers pick-up and delivery options.
3. Loyalty Program: Waba Rewards app-based loyalty program generating recurring customer engagement and repeat purchases through rewards and personalized marketing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

WaBa Grill is a fast-casual restaurant chain that prepares flame-grilled-to-order proteins including chicken, steak, salmon, shrimp, tofu, and a plant-based steak alternative, served in customizable bowls, plates, tacos, and salads. Signature items feature proprietary WaBa Sauce, with supporting offerings in dumplings, sides, and specialty beverages including boba-topped drinks. The brand operates nearly 200 franchised locations across four U.S. states.

Product overview

WaBa Grill is a fast-casual rice bowl brand offering a unified menu of grilled-to-order proteins served over rice, veggies, or in taco and salad formats. The core product portfolio centers on Rice Bowls, Veggie Rice Bowls, Plates, Boom Boom Tacos, Salad Entrees, and Family Meals, all customizable with signature WaBa Sauce and proprietary sauces. The menu also features specialty dumplings (including new Chili Crisp Dumplings), sides, and the expanding WaBeverages platform. Supporting services include a WaBa Rewards loyalty app, catering services (Bowl Bar and Taco Bar kits), and a Happy Hours value platform. Founded in Los Angeles in 2006, the brand operates nearly 200 locations across California, Nevada, Texas, and Arizona.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WaBa Sauce: The signature sauce of WaBa Grill, hand-basted on grilled proteins.
• WaBa Beverages
• Plantspired Steak
• Boom Boom Sauce
• WaBa Rewards
• Chili Crisp Dumplings

Products and services

• Rice Bowls Grilled-to-order rice bowls featuring proteins including chicken, ribeye steak, wild-caught salmon, shrimp, organic tofu, and Plantspired Steak, customizable with signature WaBa sauce and various toppings.
• Plates Plate meals featuring generous portions of grilled proteins served with rice and vegetables, including K-Ribs Korean-style short ribs.
• Boom Boom Tacos Tacos featuring grilled proteins (chicken, steak, shrimp, or tofu) in corn-flour blend tortillas with sesame slaw, green onions, and spicy Boom Boom sauce.
• Family Meals Family-sized meal packages featuring generous portions of proteins, rice, vegetables, and dumplings designed to serve multiple people, ranging from $29.99 to $41.99.
• Salad Entrees Salad entrees featuring Arcadian blend greens topped with proteins and vegetables, served with signature dressings including Signature House and Spicy Asian varieties.
• Chili Crisp Dumplings Savory pork and veggie dumplings tossed in a Chili Crisp blend of chilies, sesame oil, crispy green onions, sesame seeds, and garlic, available in 5, 10, and 20 piece portions.
• Plantspired Steak Plant-based steak alternative made from plants, charbroiled to order, providing the flavor and texture of steak with 0% meat content.
• WaBa Rewards App Mobile application offering rewards, mobile ordering, account management, and exclusive offers. Available on iOS and Android platforms for repeat customer engagement.
• Catering Services Catering program featuring Bowl Bar and Taco Bar kits, a la carte options, sides, and group meal packages for office lunches, celebrations, and corporate events. Pick-up and delivery available.
• WaBeverages Platform Proprietary beverage platform featuring specialty drinks including Dragon Fruit Mango Lemonade, Strawberry Watermelon Energy Refresher, Thai Tea, and beverages topped with mango boba.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 200 restaurants generating average unit volumes exceeding $1 million
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Avocados From MexicominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 November 2025Joint promotional sweepstakes partnership tied to major sporting events. Avocados From Mexico serves as sponsor while WaBa Grill acts as administrator. Partnership includes in-store QR code sweepstakes with prizes including gift cards and travel packages valued at approximately $5,300 total.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• MOD Pizza: Fast-casual customizable concept (pizza) operating a franchise and company-store model with similar mid-$1M AUVs and a focus on inclusive, value-driven dining experiences.
• Teriyaki Madness: Fast-casual Asian-bowl franchise concept that directly competes with WaBa Grill on grilled-protein rice bowls in similar mall and street-front trade areas. Closest comparable on cuisine style, service model, and franchise-driven growth.
• Bibibop Asian Grill: Build-your-own Asian bowl fast-casual concept that competes head-to-head with WaBa Grill in healthy, customizable rice and salad bowls. Directly comparable on menu architecture, price point, and target health-conscious consumer.
• Poke House: Fast-casual poke and Asian bowl concept with similar customization model, fresh-ingredient positioning, and millennial/Gen-Z target. Comparable on menu mechanics and price architecture.
• Tropical Smoothie Cafe: Franchise-led fast-casual concept with strong AUVs and a beverage-led menu alongside food. Comparable as a franchise-driven growth story in the better-for-you QSR/fast-casual segment.

Broad incumbents

• CAVA Group: Public fast-casual Mediterranean bowl concept. Comparable as a high-growth, better-for-you bowl franchise with strong SSS and significant marketing scale, though differentiated by Mediterranean vs. Asian cuisine.
• Sweetgreen: Public fast-casual salad and bowl concept targeting health-conscious consumers with premium pricing. Comparable customer demographic and 'better-for-you' positioning, though larger and broader geographically.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill: Largest US fast-casual chain with a build-your-own bowl/plate model and strong AUVs. Sets the structural benchmark for fast-casual unit economics and supply-chain leverage that WaBa Grill's franchise system ultimately must compete against.
• Qdoba Mexican Eats: Fast-casual Mexican bowl/burrito concept owned by Apollo Global Management. Comparable on bowl-format menu, franchise plus corporate mix, and target customer seeking customization and value.

Emerging players

• Salad and Go: Fast-growing drive-thru salad and bowl concept focused on value pricing and health-conscious consumers. Comparable in healthy-bowl positioning, though differentiated by drive-thru-only format and aggressive unit growth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wabagrill
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCVQk6oe7t31FD2qH4FssLBA
• Facebookfacebook.com/wabagrillofficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/wabagrill
• TikToktiktok.com/@wabagrillofficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WaBa Grill